While jogging continues to provide a primary form of exercise and entertainment, it is not always possible to involve one's entire family. This is particularly true for smaller children. After a certain age, children can accompany their parents on bicycles. However, very young children are not accomodated.
Moreover, when more than one adult in the family desires to go jogging, having a child of tender years precludes both adults from jogging at the same time since one must remain behind to care for the children who cannot participate or travel along on a bicycle.
While various appliances have been developed which allow young children to accompany parents on their backs, on bicycles or in strollers, a feasible alternative does not exist for a parent who jogs. The following patents reflect the state of the art of which applicant is aware, insofar as these patents appear relevant to the process at hand.
______________________________________ 3,984,115 Miller October 5, 1976 21,012 Maynard July 27, 1858 1,259,195 Ambler March 12, 1918 4,431,121 Bensette February 14, 1984 70,056 Wheelock October 22, 1867 "Baby Jogger Advertisement" September, 1988 "Three-Wheel Wonder Advertisement" September, 1988 ______________________________________
The product "Baby Jogger" fairly respresents the current state of the art. A three wheeled cart carries the child. The adult pushes the cart while jogging. While this device allows one to jog and attend a child concurrently, the jogger's natural running motion has been modified. Specifically, the arm swing and cornering balancing has been altered.
The patent to Ambler teaches the basic use of a sulky for children which includes a tongue that extends from the sulky and has a free end which is to be pulled in some unspecified manner. A child's seating area and a wheeled means at a trailing portion thereof preclude the sulky from tipping over backwards. While this patent teaches the use of certain structure having coincidental similarity with the instant invention, it is silent with respect to certain important structural features which make the sulky viable for use in its intended environment with a jogger.
The patent to Bensette teaches the use of a towing device in which a frame has a pair of supports mounted on one's back which allows objects to be towed behind. This patent has more dissimilarities than similarities with the instant invention.
The remaining citations show the state of the art further. For example, Maynard provides a child's carriage as does Wheellock, and each diverge even more from the instant invention than Ambler.